Walter Mruk
Walter Mruk(1883–1942) was an American painter who was a member ofLos Cinco Pintoresa group of artists who worked inSanta Fe, New Mexicoin the early twentieth century.
Mruk was bornWladyslaw Mruk[1][2]in Buffalo, New York to parents of Polish descent. He studied at the Albright Art Institute. By 1920 he had relocated to Santa Fe, where he worked as a forest ranger, and also as a cartoonist for theSanta Fe New Mexicannewspaper.[3]
In 1924–1925, Mruk and fellow painter,Will Shustertravelled toCarlsbad Cavernson a painting adventure before the cave system was established as a national park. They painted in the caverns using lantern light. Mruk's work from this series was described in 1925 in the magazine,El Palacio:
Mruk's canvases are said to be imaginative to a high degree. He filled the cavern with mythical grotesques in an effort to interpret his reaction upon entering the dim lit interior. The work is accepted as a distinct achievement, although decidedly unusual, and difficult of treatment.[4]
One of Mruk's paintings from this series is housed in Denver Art Museum.[5]
Collections
[edit]His work is held in the collections of theDenver Art Museum,[5]theRoswell Museum,[6]theNew Mexico Museum of Art,[7]among other venues.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Udall, Sharon Rohlfsen (1987).Santa Fe art colony, 1900-1942: July 17-August 8, 1987, Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico.Gerald Peters Gallery. p. 15.ISBN9780935037159.Retrieved2 July2023.
- ^Poling-Kempes, Lesley (2015).Ladies of the Canyons A League of Extraordinary Women and Their Adventures in the American Southwest.University of Arizona Press. p. 255.ISBN9780816524945.Retrieved2 July2023.
- ^Robertson & Nestor 2005,p. 83.
- ^Robertson, Edna; Nestor, Sarah (2005).Artists of the Canyons and Caminos Santa Fe: Early Twentieth Century.Gibbs-Smith. p. 122.ISBN9781423601142.Retrieved2 July2023.
- ^ab"The Ghosts of Carlsbad Caverns (1924-1925)".Denver Art Museum.Retrieved2 July2023.
- ^"Art Collection".Roswell Museum.Retrieved2 July2023.
- ^"Walter Mruk".New Mexico Museum of Art.Retrieved2 July2023.